Micon to Fulfill 2-Year Probation in Las Vegas

After months of playing cat-and-mouse with Nevada authorities, the infamous Seals With Clubs operator Bryan Micon was finally charged for running an unlicensed Bitcoin gambling platform.

The Las Vegas-based poker professional and the mastermind behind the once famous Bitcoin-only poker website received the sentence of two years of probation and a legal fine worth $25,000.

Initially, the Seals With Clubs operator and chairman was expected to undergo 10 years in state prison, together with a $50,000 fine for bypassing the gambling laws of Nevada.

Should Micon fail to adhere to the probationary measures, he will be facing up to two and half years in state prison, according to Clark County District Court Judge Kerry Earley.

Although Micon voiced little about this matter, his defense attorney, Richard Schonfeld, informed the district magistrate that the defendant plans to fulfill his probation in Las Vegas. After which Micon will then relocate with his family to Antigua where a job awaits him.

Micon previously surrendered Bitcoin credits worth 3 BTC, cash funds amounting to $900, and six computer units that were used to operate the Bitcoin poker platform back in the day.

Reviewing Micon’s uncanny legal case

The seizing of Seals With Clubs and the legal probation of Micon is such a bizarre case for the Bitcoin gambling industry.

Although Las Vegas is known to be the gambling capital of the world, online gambling platforms such as Seals With Clubs are far from safe from the fangs of the law.

Even before the Seals With Clubs’ unfortunate closure, the online gambling industry has already been under the radar of Las Vegas authorities. Eventually, the niche ended up being monitored and regulated in the latter part of 2011.

All platforms that fail to adhere to the protocols of online gambling shall receive the consequences from authorities, regardless if these are fiat casinos or Bitcoin gambling in Las Vegas.

Unfortunately, Seals With Clubs had no legal certifications to conduct its business. This ultimately became the core reason for the Bitcoin poker website to fall prey for Nevada officials and succumb to the online gambling restrictions.

After providing online poker aficionados with a decentralize poker environment that is powered by Bitcoin, Micon’s revolutionary website has fallen to its demise, but has resurrected as SwCPoker, an upgraded Bitcoin poker site now based in Antigua.

What comes next for Bitcoin?

Though the majority of users from the combined community of Bitcoin gambling and real-money gambling are still baffled with the fate of Micon, this event has taught an extremely valuable lesson for all online casino operators.

Considering that Bitcoin adheres to no centralized entity, it is still highly recommended for Bitcoin or any cryptocurrency-powered platform to comply with the requirements of the country they operate in.

Unfavorable events such as Micon’s arrest only deteriorate Bitcoin’s overall reputation and add fuel to the blazing flames of society’s Bitcoin negativity.

In order to persuade the traditional market to be open-minded and accept the groundbreaking Bitcoin advantages, users must prove the trustworthiness and legitimacy of the Bitcoin niche.

As for the Bitcoin gambling industry, it is best for every brand to come hand-in-hand to eliminate fraud and unlicensed gambling sites and platforms in order for Bitcoin and layman spectators to further appreciate the experience of gambling with Bitcoin.